This entry comes a little late, I know, but my first blog will be about my experiences in Washington DC and the three Washington Nationals games I attended at Nationals Park.
First, let me get the big elephant out of the way and explain WHY my travels took me to our Nation's Capital. I was medevacked by the US Peace Corps from my post in the South American country of Guyana to Headquarters in DC. Let me tell all of you that I was completely healthy and that I was a victim of a very awful power trip and conspiracy. If you want details, just ask. Bottom line is this: I spent three weeks in Washington DC. I saw a lot of sights and hit up a lot of baseball games.
I'm not going to let my personal situation with the Peace Corps invade this blog, aside from the brief explanation in the last paragraph. This entry, and the subsequent entries about Bowie and Baltimore, will be about my experiences in the cities themselves and my opinions and experiences of their respective ballparks. So, here we go...
I had been to DC once before back when I was a Freshman at the University of Oregon. I was inserted into two middle school groups from Colorado and Missouri. This really was a detriment, and it prevented me from seeing and appreciating a lot of the sites that we saw. On this trip, however, I had a lot more freedom to move about the city and see the sights I wanted to and for however long I wanted. Considering the long duration of my stay in the city, I can adequately say that I saw all the big sights and even some of the lesser known ones, as well.
Perhaps I had some luck on my side, but the weather was absolutely fabulous when I was there. Just before I left the country, a major snowstorm had hit the area. But all traces of that storm had been erased, and I enjoyed constant temperatures in the 70s and 80s for my stay. Aside from the temperature, the world-famous Japanese Cherry Blossoms were budding during my stay. The banks of the Tidal Basin and the sides of the Mall were simply ablaze with the magnificent color of the blossoming flowers. It was so beautiful, and I was lucky to see them when I was there.
The first couple days that I was in the city, I made sure to hit up the big, more famous monuments and museums on the National Mall. It seemed like those first few days, I just walked and walked and walked all over the Mall. In fact, I walked so much that I had to buy a new pair of shoes because the ones I brought from Guyana were literally degraded from overuse.
What really struck me as incredible was the sheer size of the major monuments themselves. The Lincoln Memorial is such an imposing edifice to the great President Lincoln, it truly is awe-inspiring. The massive Washington Monument commands respect and dignity in it's towering presence on the Mall. The Vietnam Memorial simplicity evokes such grief and solemness with it's design. The World War Two Memorial is expansive and decorative that blends in so well with the other monuments around it. And finally, the Korean War Memorial is eerie and interpretive allowing for so much individual reflection.
Out of the major monuments, my favorite would have to be the Lincoln Memorial. I made it almost a habit during my three weeks in DC to walk from my hotel in Arlington down onto the Mall and climb the steps of the Memorial. Just sitting on those famous steps and gazing out onto the monuments and the Capitol Dome in the distance calmed my nerves, cleared my thoughts, and rested my legs. Especially in the twilight hours, when the sun would shine behind it and the floodlights would illuminate it's grandiose facade, it became such a peaceful place and the presence of Lincoln's massive statue gave me hope and restored my faith in the United States time and again during those three weeks.
No visit to the National Mall would be complete without frequenting the famous Smithsonian museums. I spent dozens of hours at the American History, Natural History, Art History, the National Zoo, and Air and Space Museums while in DC. Every single one of those museums is gargantuan in size and even with my extended duration, I missed some exhibits because of just the massive amounts of knowledge already in them. Their size was almost intimidating in a way, and I think that because of it, I missed out some very important exhibits and pieces.
While each museum was INCREDIBLY interesting and fascinating, my favorite was the Air and Space Museum. I spent over six hours touring the exhibits and seeing the many artifacts that were on display. My routine was to go up to an exhibit, read the full placard about the exhibit, and then move on to the next one. The information I learned was incredible and at the end of the day, my head hurt because I learned so much.
When talking about sites and sounds of Washington, it is so very important to talk about Arlington National Cemetery. The hallowed grounds were a mere stone's throw from my hotel, and I would walk through them almost every night while making my way to the Mall. The silence and solitude of the grounds are very difficult to put into words. All the lives lost and the history rooted in those pristine acres really puts your life into perspective. These gallant men and women paid the ultimate price for the freedoms and liberties we enjoy today. Sure, the Tomb of the Unknown and Kennedy Graves are fascinating in their own right, but venturing off the trodden tourist path into the heart of the cemetery reveals a side of the grounds that cannot be explained in a brochure, book, or blog.
There was one night when I was walking and the silence was suddenly punctuated by the sharp blast of three gunshots followed by the slow and sad melody of Taps. I had to stop, pause, and reflect. It was a moment that seemed to freeze in time. Only afterwards did I realize that the graveside ceremony I had heard was coming from Section 60, the location of the Afghanistan and Iraq War dead.
Enough about the sites, let's talk some baseball. I was unsure that I would be in DC long enough, but I managed to squeeze in three games at Nationals Park. The Nationals played host in an exhibition game to the Boston Red Sox, and then a series against the Philadelphia Phillies. I got to see some great baseball.
For the record, I had heard some mixed reviews of Nationals Park. It was completed last year, so it is literally a brand new park. I went in with low expectations, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The park is set in the Navy Yard area southeast of the Mall. I would say it was about a twenty minute walk from the steps of the Capitol. It is surrounded by a lot of construction. Apparently, the ballpark is spurring a sort of urban redevelopment of the area that will include upscale condos, fine dining establishments, and trendy commercial shopping. While the construction made walking around a little difficult, it should be a very vibrant area once completed.
As for the ballpark, Nationals Park is kind of weird. The new philosophy in ballpark design is the creation of these "seating neighborhoods." Individual sections are orientated so that they are isolated from others, thus creating a more intimate atmosphere for the fans sitting in those sections. This does create unorthodox stadium construction, but makes things interesting. The upper deck, where I sat all three games, was split into two of these "neighborhoods." They offered a good sightlines of the field and all, but I found that the cheap $5 seats had just as good of views as the more expensive $17 seats.
Nationals Park is very spacious and, overall, I liked it. They did a very good job of creating an atmosphere that was fun and enjoyable for everyone. I especially like the President's Mascot Race and the very fascinating placards on the history of baseball in DC on the main concourse.
Then there were the Nationals fans. Well, I should say the lack of Nationals fans. All three games I went to, the visiting team had at least twice, maybe even three, times the amount of fans then the Nats. Sure, I saw the Nats play two large market teams in the Red Sox and Phillies, but really? You have a very neat, and new, ballpark, why aren't you going to it? Then I'm reminded, the Nationals are a really bad team that has suffered losing seasons ever since the franchise's inception. The last game I went to, I couldn't help but feel some sadness for the organization. Here is this team and this ballpark that is providing a very good distraction for all the negativity I was going through, the least I could do was to buy a Nats shirt and hat, take my picture with the President's, and cheer the home team on.
The Nats lost the first game I went to, the exhibition against the Red Sox, 9-1. They split the next two I went to against the Phillies, losing the first game 8-4, and winning the second game 6-5.
To sum up, I really got to know DC very well. I became a pro at riding the subways, walking about the Mall and downtown, where the good places to eat were, and what places to stay away from. I truly think that with my ambitions set on a career in that city that this trip adequately prepared me for life there. I'm excited to go back and really be a resident of that city and to continue exploring it.
My next post will about my trip out to Bowie, MD.
Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)
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